Badlands

(1973)
I dropped this in my Netflix queue solely on the strength that Martin Sheen starred in it. I knew nothing else about the film. Sheen stars as Kit, a young man down on his luck, who quits his job hauling garbage. On his way home he spots young Holly (Sissy Spacek) and takes a shine to her, despite the fact that hes 25 and shes 15. They start a romance, which her father (Warren Oates) puts a stop to; Kit comes over the house, and intending to run off with Holly, kills her father and burns the house. This starts an interstate killing spree, the two of them driving across the great plains, Kit killing largely indiscriminately, until eventually the police catch up with him. Unlike most modern films about this subject, you dont really know (or expect) the film to be about a serial killer. Initially its just two lonely semi-losers finding love; Kits killings have no premeditation, and aside from the fact that he doesnt much value human life (other than Hollys), hes not portrayed as a vicious wacko or a demented monster. Hes an average guy ill-at-ease in the world who finds the pulling of a trigger to be the simplest solution to many of his problems. This approach renders the movie far more chilling; by keeping Kit human, and as normal as a repeat killer can be, the story raises far thornier questions, eschewing the normal black-and-white approach taken with this sort of topic (when the cops catch him, Kit chats with them as if they were his buddies; later, in an airplane hangar before hes to be flown to a holding facility, he enjoys an easy back-and-forth with the troops and police massed there, handing over his personal effects as if they were souvenirs). Both Sheen and Spacek are masterful here, providing subtle, low key performances that, much in line with the directorial approach, keep the movie rooted in reality and avoid any sensationalism. Sheen gets the lions share of the work visually, as Holly mostly reacts to whatever action he takes; but Spaceks voiceovers let us identify with this young woman, balancing out the load. Again, both are extraordinary. Between the terrific acting and the gorgeous, open American West landscape a metaphor for the isolation Kit and Holly live in, but stunning in its own right this is a brilliant film that far exceeds most modern takes on this material. This one pretty much has it all great acting, great visuals, and a story told in a frank and believable way. Its not that hard to get a hold of Netflixs DVD service has it so theres really no excuse not to catch this classic film. Its well worth your 90 minute time investment. June 3, 2013